This invention relates to the field of dental hygiene. Many individuals suffer from periodontal disease. The term “periodontal” is generally defined as the area around the tooth. This includes the gum, periodontal membrane and bone tissue holding a tooth in place. If periodontal disease is diagnosed, dental surgery is typically required to correct the gum condition. Following surgery, it is necessary to keep the space, or sulcus, between the teeth and gum free of any food debris. This is critical for successful healing and improving the gum to a healthy condition.
The healing process following periodontal surgery is critical. Typically, immediately following surgery, the sulcus is filled with temporary protective packing for approximately one to two weeks. Gum swelling resulting from surgery has, after this period of time, subsided to the point where tooth brushing can begin. Dental plaque and food debris must thereafter be kept to a minimum in the sulcus for the gums to continue to heal correctly.
Good oral hygiene for gum healing is one of the most effective dental prophylaxes. For this reason, it is critical to obtain an effective penetration of the toothbrush bristle tips into the sulcus.
However, most individuals tend to brush only the prominent tooth surfaces. These surfaces typically do not require brushing and can be adequately cleaned simply by eating fibrous foods such as meats and vegetables.
To properly clean the sulcus, many experts recommend that the bristle tips must reach to the bottom of the sulcus.
Commonly known among dentists is the Bass technique, a method for properly brushing the tooth and sulcus as described in “Glickman's Clinical Periodontology® 1979, pp729-733”. The Bass technique is considered by many dental experts as the most efficient tooth brushing technique; yet most people are either not familiar, or simply don't know how to properly perform this brushing technique.
Proper use of the Bass technique requires a portion of the bristle tips to penetrate into the sulcus with movement of the toothbrush with a short back-and-forth motion without dislodging the tip of the bristles from their position within the sulcus.
The proper method for this technique is that a toothbrush is held using a grip at two points on the brush handle. One point would be the midpoint on the backside of the brush handle, which would be pressed with the index finger. The second point would be on the front side of the handle (same side as the bristles), which the gum-line and slight pressure applied on these two points, and when minimal back and forth motion is applied, the toothbrush will be secure enough in the hand of the user to make the bristles penetrate into the small gum spaces. While performing the above procedure, the user must be able to feel the bristles of the toothbrush with his fingers.
The Bass technique could be more efficiently implemented if a user could insert at least a few of the toothbrush bristle tips to the bottom of the sulcus. Unfortunately, the conventional toothbrush has a high density of bristles so that the result is an ineffective use of the bristles. In other words, bristle density prevents bristles from reaching either the base of the sulcus or deep enough between the teeth spaces.
Despite the fact that the Bass technique is the best brushing technique, it only remains theoretical if user does not determine the proper positioning of the bristles by touch and understand that the bristles need to maintain their linear form for proper penetration. If this is not done, most of the time the bristles will contact the surface of the gum or tooth and simply bend, thus altering the position of the bristle tip and unable to penetrate to the base of the sulcus or deep between the space of adjacent teeth. Using the sense of touch properly, the bristles can penetrate into the small spaces.
When bristles are dragged by generated force such as from side-to-side brushing, bristles cannot maintain its straight and rigid form and, the bristle tips cannot lead into the small spaces due to the exaggerated force and motion applied by the user.
Typical toothbrushes are used to sweep their bristles back and forth across the surfaces of tooth and gum in prophylaxis. In other words, the bristles slide over the small spaces between teeth and between the tooth and the adjacent gum. This sliding action actually causes the bristles to pass over plaque and food debris, or can even force such material deeper into the space.
When a toothbrush is used in this conventional manner, the bristle tips are not properly positioned to be inserted into, nor do they have the necessary contact time within the sulcus to effectively remove plaque and food debris.